1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device, and more specifically to an image forming device which is reduced in rattle of a cover body with respect to a main body in a vertical direction and which prevents the cover body from accidentally opening when the image forming device is lifted up by grabbing the cover body.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been provided an image forming device that includes a main body provided with a printing unit for printing images on a recording sheet and a cover body provided with a reading unit for reading images from original documents. The cover body is disposed above and pivotally supported on the main body via a hinge so that cover body can move to its opening position by pivoting upward and to its closing position by pivoting downward.
FIG. 17 is a magnified partial view showing a main body 510 and a cover body 520 of a conventional image forming device. When the cover body 520 is closed, a pulling spring 530 urges a lever 521 of the cover body 520 toward a wall 511 of the main body 510 in a direction opposite to a direction indicated by an arrow X. A tip 522 of the lever 521 and a tip 512 of the wall 511 are in vertical confrontation with each other with a small gap therebetween. Therefore, rattle of the cover body 520 and the main body 510 in the vertical direction is confined within this gap. In order to open the cover body 520, a user slides the lever 521 in the direction X against the urging force of the pulling spring 530 to displace vertical overlap of the tip 522 of the lever 521 and the tip 512 of the wall 511. Then, the user pivots the cover body 520 upward to its opening position.
This image forming device includes handles (not shown) disposed on both sides of the main body 510, enabling the user to carry around the image forming device by grabbing the handles. However, because the cover body 520 projects outward from the side of the main body 510, the user likely grabs the cover body 520 rather than the handles when carrying the image forming device.
If the user lifts up the image forming device by grabbing the lever 521 of the cover body 520, then the lever 521 slides in the direction X to cause displacement of vertical overlap of the tip 522 of the lever 521 and the tip 512 of the wall 511, opening the cover body 520 the instant the image forming device is lifted.
The impact of opening of the cover body 520 may cause the user to drop the image forming device, or may cause the main body 510 to pivot about the hinge and bang into the user. Also, if the user lifts up the image forming device by grabbing the cover body 520 opened with the main body 510 hanging therefrom via the hinge, an excessive load is exerted on the hinge. This may sever the main body 510 from the cover body 520, causing a danger that the severed main body 510 drops onto the user to cause an injury.